The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.

Posted on 13 September 2011 by philosiblog

The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are. – C.S. Lewis

If you wish to become wise in the ways of rocketry, find a circle of those who already are, and learn from them.

What does that mean?
This is a slightly abbreviated version of a longer quote:  The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are: that good fortune I have enjoyed for nearly twenty years.

It says that if you are not wise (and I would add that this is a good idea even if you already are), it is prudent to keep the company of those who are. This is one of the quickest ways to become wise yourself, and elevate yourself in the field of wisdom.

By surrounding yourself with wise people, you can learn a lot, if you pay attention. He is saying something similar to Sir Isaac Newton (“If it appears that I see farther, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants” where he was referring to the giants of science).

Why is associating with people more skilled than you important?  Continue reading →

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Small opportunities are often the beginnings of great enterprises.

Posted on 12 September 2011 by philosiblog

Small opportunities are often the beginnings of great enterprises. – Demosthenes

The Steves (Wozniak & Jobs) in the garage in '75. Who knew this little computer opportunity would grow into such a great enterprise?

What does that mean?
Just ask Kinko’s or Fed Ex or Apple. Each started as something small. Each is now a major or dominant player in it’s chosen field. Some even invented whole new fields to dominate.

Even a little kiss can lead to a great enterprise, if you want to call a family an enterprise (and some of them turn out that way). This is not just about business, but the whole of life.

From the High School play to Broadway to Hollywood. From PeeWee football to High School Letterman to College to the NFL. From Little League to High School Ball to College to the Minors to The Show. Everyone who has made it big, they were small at one time.

Why is perseverance important?  Continue reading →

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Non violence is a sign of strength; violence is a sign of desperation and weakness.

Posted on 11 September 2011 by philosiblog

Non violence is a sign of strength; violence is a sign of desperation and weakness. – Dalai Lama

... and exactly what did this settle or prove?

What does that mean?
This is a testament to wisdom over ‘common knowledge.’ Many people think that fighting, conquering and vanquishing are the ultimate way to settle a dispute. In reality, I believe it is the worst possible way, as the underlying point of contention has not been resolved. The friction remains, the anger remains. All that has changed is one side (or person) has defeated the other in a showing of violence.

Wisdom tells us that until the underlying point of contention is resolved, nothing will change. Fights will continue to occur until either the issue is resolved in other venues, or one side completely wipes out the other (think ethnic cleansing in Africa and the Balkans).

Violence is usually the play called by the side that is loosing the battle to win the hearts and minds of the people to their side of the issue at hand. That is a sure sign of both their desperation, and weakness of their negotiating position.

Why is strength important?  Continue reading →

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The greatest remedy for anger is delay.

Posted on 10 September 2011 by philosiblog

The greatest remedy for anger is delay. – Seneca

Perhaps if she just counted to ten...

What does that mean?
Anger, when delayed or deferred, is weakened. This, he believes, is the best course, to allow anger to fade away before it is acted out. In his case, I believe ‘remedy’ is used to mean cure, making delay the cure for anger. This makes sense to me, and hopefully to you as well.

The alternative is to not delay when angry. How does that end? You might want to ask the Montague and Capulet families. Violence will only beget more violence, anger will only beget more anger. Best to let the anger fade and avoid the cycle of anger and violence.

Why is delaying important?  Continue reading →

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I pay no attention whatever to anybody’s praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.

Posted on 9 September 2011 by philosiblog

I pay no attention whatever to anybody’s praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings. – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Being able to cook is a form of independence.

What does that mean?
He’s marching to the beat of his own drummer. He’s doing what seems appropriate to him at the time. He doesn’t change to try to please others, he doesn’t change to curry favor. He is independent. How about the rest of us? How far do we push to keep our vision, or do we fold at the first push?

As this is about one of the more famous composers of all time, the quote is almost certainly about the writing of music. However, it probably also applied to the rest of his life, and can be applied to our lives as well. Note that this doesn’t free us from our obligations, but in my opinion, is part of our creative side.

Why is independence important?  Continue reading →

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My future starts when I wake up every morning… Every day I find something creative to do with my life.

Posted on 8 September 2011 by philosiblog

My future starts when I wake up every morning… Every day I find something creative to do with my life. – Miles Davis

A creative genius, he was.

What does that mean?
I believe his quote is saying that he is always thinking about creating. For him the future begins anew every single morning. Each day is another step in his creativity, and a chance to do something special.

How empowering is that? Wow! Think about that for a moment. How wonderful it must be to think that every morning is a new start on the future. Leaving the previous day behind, and starting anew! Each day is another chance to be creative.

What a wonderful a creed to have, as an affirmation for each morning! What do you think would change in your life if you thought in those terms? I know it would help me and my life just a little. 8)

Why is creativity important?  Continue reading →

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I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.

Posted on 7 September 2011 by philosiblog

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self. ~ Aristotle

There is no doubt that Leonidas was ready to face any outside enemy. But had he mastered himself?

What does that mean?
To me, this is talking about the eternal internal struggle of humanity. We seem to have a gap between what we know we should do and what we actually do. People who smoke or overeat are two obvious examples. Overcoming ones desires is a very difficult thing for most of us to do.

Conquering an enemy, or defeating any external obstacle, that is easy when compared to conquering that which lies within ourselves. With everything focused on the outside, you can ignore the internal conflict. When facing yourself, you must bring a level of honesty and integrity that is very admirable, and more than a little difficult.

Why is self-knowledge important?  Continue reading →

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Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.

Posted on 6 September 2011 by philosiblog

Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts. – Charles Dickens

Was this the result of a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts? Or is it the result of the opposite? Which heart, which temper & which touch would you prefer to have?

What does that mean?
This is a slightly shortened quote from Our Mutual Friend, Book 2, Chapter 8. However, the missing portions are not necessary for the purposes of discussing this quote, in my opinion.

This quote talks about some of the finest characteristics of the human animal. A heart that never hardens, despite the hate and anger directed at it. A temper that never tires, despite being tried regularly, often by the same people directing hate and anger at it. A touch that never hurts, but provides comfort and help, even to the people who have been antagonistic.

If you could have these traits, I believe not only would your life improve, but so would the lives of those who your life touches. I also believe attempting to achieve this condition is a worthy goal.

Why is character important?  Continue reading →

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Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.

Posted on 5 September 2011 by philosiblog

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. – Carl Jung

Looking without or looking within?

What does that mean?
When we look inside our heart, our true self awakens. Until then, our true self is hidden, and we follow with our groups. Our family, our friends, our community and our nation end up being our compass. When we live without looking within our heart, we exist as if we are in a dream, someone else’s dream. To awaken, we must look inside our heart.

When we look inside, into our own heart, our vision can begin to become clear. When we look inside our heart, we discover what we are, who we are, and what we truly believe. This process of examination, of self-exploration, is the foundation of our true self.

Why is vision important?  Continue reading →

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Without a sense of equanimity, unbiased love and compassion cannot even get started.

Posted on 4 September 2011 by philosiblog

Without a sense of equanimity, unbiased love and compassion cannot even get started. – Dalai Lama

Calm, refreshed, and ready to face the day.

What does that mean?
Let’s start with a definition. At thefreedictionary.com, equanimity is defined as “The quality of being calm and even-tempered; composure.” So, restating the quote, it becomes: “Without an even temper, unbiased love and compassion cannot even get started.”

This quote is reminding us that a mind and heart in turmoil cannot give truly unbiased love and unbiased compassion. Therefore, to be able to give unbiased love and unbiased compassion, we must first find a way to become calm, composed and even-tempered.

Why is the ability to be calm important? Continue reading →

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It is more fitting for a man to laugh at life than to lament over it.

Posted on 3 September 2011 by philosiblog

It is more fitting for a man to laugh at life than to lament over it. – Seneca

SNOW EVENT! Good News: Snow Day! Bad News: Shovel Driveway! Will you Laugh or will you Lament? The choice is up to you.

What does that mean?
I’m sure you’ve met someone who spends more time complaining about things than they do working to make things better. Their lamentations do them no good, as nothing productive can come from that course of action (or, as it is more often than not, a course of inaction).

The course of action proffered by this quote is to laugh in the face of the trials and travails of life, rather than whine or complain. While it’s not always appropriate to laugh, neither is it always appropriate to lament. In my experience, laughter is more frequently the proper response than is lamentation. I have also found that laughter is far more empowering than lamenting.

Why is perspective important? Continue reading →

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The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

Posted on 2 September 2011 by philosiblog

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. – Stephen Covey

Must... Stay... Focused...

What does that mean?
Let’s see if we can dissect the quote, shall we? If I’m reading this right, there are three “main thing” repetitions. Let’s color code them to make this easier.

     The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

So, the point of the quote is to keep the main thing front and center.

Did that help at all? In short, the quote is about keeping focused on the main thing, and not be distracted by all the other (non-main) things going on around you.

Why is focus important? Continue reading →

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If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.

Posted on 1 September 2011 by philosiblog

If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning. – Mohandas Gandhi

"Someday, I'm gonna ride this thing!"

What does that mean?
This saying has been stated by many people in many different ways, but it gets back to the same basic fact. If you believe you can do it, you will eventually find a way to make it happen. You might not know how you are getting there at first, but as you work your way to your destination, you will acquire the skills you need.

The analogy I like is of a person standing on a tall hill, overlooking a valley with fields and forests and pastures as far as the eye can see. In the distance is the mountain, the foot of which is the destination. They may not even know where in the valley the river is, much less how they will ford it, but they will eventually find it and eventually cross it.

Why is belief important? Continue reading →

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The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.

Posted on 31 August 2011 by philosiblog

The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions. – Leonardo da Vinci

Not a picture of me, but I have a T-Shirt like it in a drawer.

What does that mean?
Let’s face it, I’m the greatest Dad in the world, right? I’ve got the T-Shirt to prove it! Isn’t that what this quote is all about? We often have opinions that are different than what is real. Both overly optimistic and overly pessimistic opinions are part of most people’s self evaluation.

We also often have opinions of things other than self which are not an accurate reflection of reality. These deceits are, as often as not, deceptions created by someone else, but we often continue believing them without thinking and challenging them.

Why is avoiding or breaking out of deception important? Continue reading →

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Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.

Posted on 30 August 2011 by philosiblog

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. – Socrates

What does that mean?
Everyone has experiences. Some write them down in a manner that is useful to others. Some write books about what happened. Others write books about how to achieve something that they were able to do. And there are those who write to explain what they tried and how poorly it worked for them.

In each case, we are standing on the shoulders of others, to see farther (to take a little liberty with a quote from Sir Isaac Newton). Hopefully we can select books written by the giants in their fields, so that we might see as far as possible. But it helps to learn quickly from the experience of others.

Why is self-improvement important? Continue reading →

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